Les Anses d’Arlet

Les Anses-d’Arlet, located in south-west Martinique, owe their name to a former Caribbean chief named Arlet who for many years possessed the entire region, and more specifically the lands culminating in the two Anses (coves)

  • Grande Anse, at the entrance to Fort-de-France bay, with its long beach, is an increasingly popular mooring site for smaller luxury liners.
  • Petite Anse, further south, accessed via Le Diamant, is a fishing village.

The town is nestled between these two coves sits, with its old Creole houses, fruit market, pharmacy, and its church perfectly aligned with the communal marina looking out to sea.

A FEW KEY POINTS WORTH NOTING

 

A REMARKABLE NATURAL HERITAGE

  • Lots of sunshine and very little rain.
  • 11 Miles (18 kilometers) of coastline.
  • White sand beaches, including Petite Anse, Le Bourg, Grande Anse, and Anse Dufour.
  • A black sand beach: Anse Noire.
  • High-quality bathing waters.
  • Very rich and renowned sea beds: from Anse Noire, via Anse Dufour to Pointe de la Baleine and Ramiers island.
  • Mounds (or “mornes” in the local dialect) resulting from volcanic activity: Morne Larcher and Morne Champagne.
  • Natural areas are protected and listed.

 

 

A STRONG CULTURAL HERITAGE 

  • The former sugar plantations.
  • “La Sucrerie” distillery dates from the 18th Century.
  • The town’s traditional houses.
  • Wells.
  • Bread ovens and lime kilns.
  • Windmills and cassava mills (La Plaine).
  • Pre-Columbian sites (Genty rocks).
  • The ruins of the Pointe Burgos battery and their gunpowder store (Morne Champagne).
  • The town’s former presbytery.

 

 

ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE

  • Hiking
  • Sea trips
  • Kayaking
  • Diving
  • Rowing
  • Restaurants
  • Windsurfing